Nominal: Starting with an entrance exam for a PhD in Economics at Peking University

However, at this time, the Luzhou municipal government was experiencing a minor earthquake.

The Municipal Commission for Discipline Inspection announced an investigation into Zhang Weidong, director of the Legislative Affairs Office, for accepting bribes from businesses and abusing his power. As soon as the news broke, small groups of people throughout the municipal government building discussed the matter.

On the third day, Yi Xuexi chaired an executive meeting of the municipal government. He sat in the main seat, his gaze sweeping over the faces of the dozen or so people present—Chen Guodong from the Environmental Protection Bureau, Ma Mingyuan from the Development Zone, Liu Jianshe from the Housing and Construction Bureau, and those department heads and bureau chiefs who had previously paid lip service and stood by.

No one dared to meet his gaze.

Yi Xuexi didn't say anything harsh; he simply brought up the issue of the food court's rectification again. This time, no one objected. Chen Guodong proactively stated that the Environmental Protection Bureau would fully cooperate and produce a detailed plan within three days; Ma Mingyuan assured that the Development Zone would do a good job with the enterprises; Liu Jianshe promised to complete the building planning verification within a week.

The meeting lasted less than an hour, and all items were successfully passed.

When the meeting adjourned, Yi Xuexi was the last to leave the conference room. The cadres waiting in the corridor to report on their work all subconsciously made way for him when they saw him come out.

He knew that this meant it had been established.

It's not because he's so great, it's because Zhang Weidong has fallen.

Kill the chicken to scare the monkey. The chicken was chosen to be big and strong enough, so the rest of the monkeys would naturally behave.

The rectification notice was issued quickly.

The notice was issued in the form of an official document from the municipal government, totaling more than 3,000 words, but it contained only a few key points: the food court's sewage system does not meet current environmental standards and must be upgraded within three months; during the upgrade period, the amount of sewage discharged must not exceed 30% of the current level; if the standards are not met by the deadline, the food court will be shut down in accordance with the law.

A technical appendix was also attached, listing dozens of requirements. Anyone in the know can tell that these requirements far exceed national standards. Upgrading to meet these standards would require an investment of hundreds of millions in wastewater treatment equipment alone.

That's not the most important thing. The key issue is that the annual operating costs are also increasing several times over.

In other words, the food court's profits will be completely eaten up by environmental protection costs.

That's not even enough.

This isn't rectification; this is forcing you to close down.

While the rectification notice was still en route to the Luzhou Food City Tourism Management Company, Zhao Ruilong received a call from Ma Mingyuan.

Ma Mingyuan's tone was troubled: "Young Master Zhao, it's not that I don't want to help. The city's attitude is very clear now; Mayor Yi is personally in charge, and no one dares to stop him. What do you think..."

Zhao Ruilong hung up the phone before he could finish speaking.

He sat in his office, looking out the window, his face so gloomy it could drip water.

Easy to learn.

He remembers that name now.

An old man in his fifties, who had served as a division chief for over twenty years, didn't want to settle down and retire peacefully for a few more years; instead, he was eager to become a scapegoat.

They weren't afraid of breaking themselves.

He picked up the phone, scrolled to the top of his contacts, and dialed a number.

The phone rang twice before being answered.

"Hey?"

"Dad, it's me."

There was a moment of silence on the other end of the phone, then a frail but still strong voice asked, "What is it?"

Zhao Ruilong recounted the whole story—how Yi Xuexi investigated the food court, issued a rectification notice, and forced him to close down. He sounded very aggrieved, and finally added, "Dad, you have to help me. It doesn't matter if this project fails, but what about all the projects our family has in Handong? Are we just going to give up on them all? At least we need to let Sha Ruijin know that we're not to be trifled with, and we can't let him push his luck."

There was a long silence on the other end of the phone.

Then Zhao Lichun said, "I understand."

The phone hangs up.

Zhao Ruilong held his phone and waited a while, but didn't receive a call back. He didn't know what his father would do, but he knew that his father would never abandon him.

An hour later, the phone rang.

He answered the phone, and it was Gao Yuliang's voice on the other end, sounding somewhat tired: "Ruilong, your dad called me."

Zhao Ruilong was secretly delighted, but his voice remained restrained: "Secretary Gao, what do you think of this matter..."

“Ruilong,” Gao Yuliang interrupted him, “I can’t help you with this.”

Zhao Ruilong was stunned.

"Secretary Gao, what do you mean?"

Gao Yuliang was silent for a few seconds, then said, "I used to live in Luzhou, and I approved the food city back then. But that was so many years ago. Now Yi Xuexi is the mayor, and if he wants to make changes, he is implementing the provincial party committee's decision and acting in accordance with laws and regulations. I have no say in it."

Zhao Ruilong grew anxious: "Secretary Gao, you and my father have had such a long-standing friendship..."

“Ruilong,” Gao Yuliang’s voice remained calm, but there was an unspeakable distance in that calmness, “I will definitely give your father face. But I really can’t help with this matter. I’ve already told your father on the phone that I won’t get involved this time. Next time, that’s all.”

The phone hangs up.

Zhao Ruilong stood there, holding his phone, not moving for a long time.

Gao Yuliang refused.

Gao Yuliang actually refused.

He recalled that when he was a child, Gao Yuliang was still the Party Secretary of Luzhou. Every time Gao Yuliang visited his home, he was always very polite to him. Later, when his father was transferred to Beijing, Gao Yuliang rose through the ranks and would call his father to wish him a happy new year during holidays.

He thought that was the norm and a matter of course.

Now?

He sat back down in his chair, stared at the ceiling, and thought for a long time.

Gao Yuliang's tone on the phone didn't sound perfunctory, nor did it sound troubled. Rather, it was a kind of... indescribable weariness. It was as if he no longer cared about these things.

Zhao Ruilong recalled some rumors he had heard recently—that Gao Yuliang might be planning to retire gracefully and stop interfering in affairs.

He didn't pay attention at the time, thinking that even if he wanted to withdraw, it wouldn't affect anything.

Now it seems that it may have really had an impact.

Would someone who wants to retire care about offending anyone?

Gao Yuliang hung up the phone and sat on the sofa for a long time.

Wu Huifen came out of the kitchen, saw him standing there in a daze, and asked, "Whose call was that?"

“Zhao Ruilong,” Gao Yuliang said.

Wu Huifen was taken aback: "The one from the Zhao family?"

"Ah."

"what's up?"

Gao Yuliang briefly explained the situation. Wu Huifen listened in silence.

She knew what this call meant. Zhao Lichun had personally called, but Gao Yuliang hadn't answered. This would have been unthinkable before.

"Won't you offend the old Party Secretary by doing this?" she asked.

Gao Yuliang shook his head: "So what if I offend them? I'm retiring anyway, who am I afraid of offending?"

Wu Huifen did not speak.

Gao Yuliang leaned back on the sofa, staring at the ceiling, when suddenly a person popped into his mind.

Sun Liancheng.

The Party Secretary of Guangming District under Li Dakang. At the last Standing Committee meeting, Li Dakang said he wanted to replace him, citing "inaction" as the reason. He also remembered that some people were talking privately at the time, saying that Sun Liancheng was useless, refusing even when given a chance.

But now that I think about it, maybe I wasn't a waste.

It is because one is without desire that one becomes invincible.

A person without desires is beyond anyone's control. Promotion is meaningless, wealth is meaningless, and offending others is even less of a concern. You can put pressure on him, but he won't budge; you can offer him benefits, but he won't accept them. What can you do with him?

Gao Yuliang reflected on his journey over the years. From Handan University to Luzhou, and from Luzhou to the provincial capital, what did he rely on to get there? He relied on his abilities, his connections, and also his desire—the desire to climb the ladder.

But now, he's retiring too.

Those desires suddenly became unimportant.

He thought of Liu Changsheng again.

That perpetually smiling "nice guy" at the Standing Committee meetings revealed his true colors this time because of Hou Liangping's investigation. He kept Hou Liangping pinned down for 24 hours straight.

why?

Because Liu Changsheng is a ghost.

Gao Yuliang knew about the Qingshan gas field. He could vaguely guess what was behind the case Hou Liangping was investigating. Liu Changsheng's strong reaction could only mean one thing—he definitely had a problem.

Unlike myself.

Gao Yuliang closed his eyes and went through the events of the past few years in his mind. Having been in and out of officialdom for decades, he dared not say that he was completely clean, but at least he had not done anything that would send him to jail.

This is probably the only thing that can comfort him right now.

Zhao Ruilong, who had just hung up on Gao Yuliang, didn't stop there.

He summoned the person in charge of the food court and asked him to contact the food court's local connections in Luzhou.

He can't contact these relationships himself now; if he does, there's no room for maneuver.

He couldn't influence those above him, but at least he needed to understand the current political climate in Luzhou through their attitudes.

The person in charge spent the entire afternoon making phone calls in person at Zhao Ruilong's villa.

The first call was to a deputy director of the Luzhou Municipal People's Political Consultative Conference. That man had worked under Gao Yuliang in the past and had some connections with the food court. On the phone, the man stammered and said a lot of "understanding" and "support," but his last words were: "I can't help with this right now, please bear with me."

The second call was to a retired director of the development zone. The director was straightforward, saying, "Mr. Zhang, please don't bother contacting me. The municipal government's stance is very firm now; no one can change anything."

The third call was to a deputy director of the Municipal Environmental Protection Bureau. The man answered the phone, listened to what was said, remained silent for a few seconds, and then said, "Mr. Zhang, why don't you try to persuade Mr. Zhao to accept it? You don't know Mayor Yi; once he's determined to do something, no one can stop him."

……

Zhao Ruilong did not allow the person in charge to continue fighting.

He finally understood.

Those who were usually obsequious, those who had profited immensely from the food court, have all retreated. Not a single one dares to stand up.

He gave a cold laugh.

Row.

If you guys won't help, I'll do it myself.